gala

noun

ga·​la ˈgā-lə  ˈga-  ˈgä- 

1

: a festive celebration

especially : a public entertainment marking a special occasion

2

capitalized : a medium-sized apple with crisp yellowish-white sweet flesh and a red skin or a golden skin with red striping

gala adjective

Synonyms

• carnival
• celebration
• fest
• festival
• festivity
• fete
• fête
• fiesta
• jubilee

Examples of gala in a Sentence

a grand gala celebrating the town's centennial

attended the gala celebrating the reopening of the museum

Recent Examples on the Web

The sound editors group invited firefighters to attend the gala as special guests with the audience honoring them for their heroic efforts during the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. —Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2025

Pageant’s annual gala, set for April 19, is the best show in town; the regular season opens on March 6. —New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025

The center opened with a gala on September 8, 1971. —Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025

Funds raised during the gala will go towards humanitarian initiatives, including support for Venezuela, Mission:Brain in Mexico, the Guiribitey Foundation in the Dominican Republic and the Agrolibano Foundation in Honduras, according to a press release. —Griselda Flores, Billboard, 15 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, borrowed from Spanish, "elegance, pomp, occasion marked by display," borrowed from Middle French gale "festivity, pleasure" — more at gallant entry 1

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gala

• calla
• palla
• salah
• valla
• valhalla
• walhalla

Kids Definition

gala

noun

ga·​la ˈgā-lə  ˈgal-ə 

: a festive celebration

gala adjective